Science backs '5-second rule' for dropped food

Researchers at Aston University in the United Kingdom dropped various pieces of food on the floor. Then, they analyzed how much bacteria the foods attracted.

They found the faster a person picks up dropped food, the safer it is to eat. Moist foods left on the floor for more than five seconds were most susceptible to becoming contaminated. Foods dropped on carpet stayed cleaner than foods dropped on tile or laminate.